The Plan

78th (Battleaxe) Infantry Division's battle plan was to launch simultaneous attacks, 36th Infantry Brigade on Longstop and the Irish Brigade on the twin peaks of Djebels Ang and Tanngoucha, commencing at 2245 hours, Thursday 22nd April.

36th Brigade's 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment and 5th Battalion Royal East Kent Regiment moved out exactly on time, their objective being the capture Djebel Chaibine. When this hill had been secured, the intention was for the 8th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders supported by 11th Infantry Brigade's 1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment and the North Irish Horse, to advance swiftly forward to complete the capture of Longstop Hill before dawn.

Bold as the plan was, it failed for three reasons. One, Djebel Chaibine was not cleared of the enemy until 0530 hours. Two, tanks of the North Irish Horse were unable to reach their start line on time, due to running into a heavily mined area in the approach. Three, for two days the attacking troops were under heavy fire from mortars, machine guns and well directed long range shellfire.

It became obvious, unless the isolated twin jagged peaks of Djebel Ang and Djebel Tanngouccha, each over 3,000 feet high, were captured, the assault on Longstop Hill would surely fail. Although no AT or heavy guns were positioned, it was the presence of mortars, machine guns and artillery observation officers on Tanngoucha that the troops attacking the lower of Longstop's twin peaks, Djebel Ahmera, were being subjected to such deadly fire. Although unpleasant, no harm came to the well protected tank crews, the infantry were not so fortunate, their casualties were many.

The task of clearing the enemy from Tanngoucha had been given given to 78th (Battleaxe) Division's Irish Brigade. In planning the attack, while looking up at the jagged precipitous slopes, Brigadier Russell opined that his battalions had to go it alone without tank support. The CO of the North Irish Horse thought otherwise, agreeing to commit two troops of Churchills even though it seemed to be a task beyond the capabilities of their Churchills In two days, the seemingly impossible was achieved, the capture of Longstop Hill was assured.

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Here is what Colonel John Horsfell of the Royal Irish Fusiliers wrote in his book The Wild Geese are Flighting:

"It was our good fortune in having tank men by us who were not put off by the obstacles around them when most others would have been. Our cavalry regiment, The North Irish Horse, was free of inhibitions sometimes found in traditionally minded units. They did not consider that all hunting should be over flat country and they did not mind about their machines. Yes they might lose a tank or two up the three thousand feet over Djebel Ang and, if they couldn't get them down again they would, no doubt, be given others. So they set off to prove it with seventy mules behind them loaded with petrol. Two days later they had done it. Three of them and they were the only power-driven vehicles ever to get over Ang. It was scarcely mule country. I do not think that anyone can appreciate the achievement of The North Irish Horse tank crews unless they had carried out that climb themselves, preferably in charge of a mule column. Nothing in Italy, or elsewhere in my experience, was comparable to those trackless and precipitous mountain wastes, fit only for Berber goats and shunned even by them."

"Captain Bowring's troop advanced over country only fit for mountain goats. One tank got bogged down to the tops of its tracks. Under heavy fire the troop towed it out and went forward only to lose another in a deep wadi. Again the crews dismounted and all the heavy work of tank towing started again. Luck was with the Ulster men once more and out she came. In this fashion the climb was made- on and on to a position where the Germans could feel, as well as see, the menace of steel. It was not a speedy advance, nor a brilliant spectacle - just a lumbering and at times a drunken amble, but nearer, always nearer to Tanngoucha and the sites of the 'mortar men'.

And if anything these deliberate elephantine antics increased the relentless threat of advancing steel. The Huns threw everything they had at the tanks but were getting a 'bit windy' now - this was a slightly different matter to shelling unprotected infantry. At times they lost sight of the troop as it struggled through the usual interminable wadi, but sure enough they came in sight again. First one, then the other two - the 'tower' and the 'towed'. Tanks stood up to tremendous twists, crews sweated in the noonday sun.

At last further ascent became impossible and with frightening deliberation the troop settled down to blast the Germans off the mountain. Machine-guns kept firing until fumes choked the crews. Covered by this hail of fire the Irish Brigade wove their way up the rocky crags to get hand to hand with the mortar men.

Of the enemy left alive, 200 odd prisoners were taken and it was left to one of them to coin a title that can be seen on the side of a North Irish Horse tank. As he passed down the road to the prisoners' cage he went by the tanks. He smiled at the Commander, patted the tank and said in perfect English: "These are iron mules you've got!" It was an absolute unbiased tribute considering the source."